Residents of Secesh Meadows northeast of McCall were advised to evacuate their homes on Wednesday in the face of the growing Loon Lake Fire.
Fire managers advised the Idaho County Sheriff's Office of the voluntary evacuation order and offered assistance in getting the word to residents of the vacation home area.
The Loon Lake Fire was the most dangerous of wild fires burning on the Payette National Forest, having reached 3,000 acres by Wednesday morning.
As of Wednesday night, the fire was two miles south of Secesh Meadows.
About 80 people attended a community meeting Tuesday night. Estimates says between 40 and 50 buildings are in the area occupied by between 50 and 100 part-time residents.
The atmosphere was congenial at the beginning of the meeting but immediately switched when the fire management team began its presentation.
"The fire was very active in the afternoon and the evening," said Pat McKelvey, public information officer.
"It moved and gave a pretty good push as far as gaining size," McKelvey said. "The way the weather is acting will multiply the effects. The community of Secesh is at more risk, and we're making preparations for the protection of those structures."
During the presentation, community members expressed most concern over protecting their cabins and other buildings from the approaching flames.
Bob Frye of the fire management team said firefighters can work to protect a home from igniting, but do not have the training to fight a house fire.
The Zena Creek Fire surged over a ridgeline near Zena Creek Ranch on Lick Creek Road on Monday. The Zena Creek Fire is one of three that make up the East Zone Complex. All of the East Zone Complex fires are being actively managed for suppression. |
"If a house is on fire, it's gone," Frye said.
The Loon Lake Fire was one of three fires forming the East Zone Complex.
The Zena Creek Fire covered 3,100 acres on Wednesday, and the Raines Fire had burned 50 acres by Wednesday.
All three fires are being aggressively fought and are considered especially dangerous due to steep and rugged terrain.
Trails that enter the Loon Lake area from the Chinook Campground were closed, and steps were taken to protect bridges along those trails.
Firefighters were also using protection techniques at Zena Creek Ranch, including a complex irrigation system taking the water out of a nearby reserve to soak anything in the vicinity of nearby buildings.
Seven thousand feet of hose was being used to keep the fire away from private property staffed by 31 crew members.
Total cost for the East Zone Complex as of Tuesday was $505,000.
Krassel Complex
Elsewhere on the Payette, the Krassel Complex includes four lightning fires being allowed to burn through the forest where they can improve forest health, managers said.
These fires started on June 17 and may burn throughout the fires season as long as they continue to be beneficial, said Jack Horner, public information officer for the California team watching those fires.
"The two that we're concentrating our efforts on are the two largest, the Tag and Goat fires," he said.
The Tag Fire is located between Lantz Bar and as of Wednesday reached 5,213 acres.
The Goat Fire is located at the Snow slide drainage and reached 3,670 acres as of Wednesday.
Two smaller fires, the McCalla and the Buckhorn, were small and fairly inactive.
Total cost of the Krassel Complex as of Tuesday was estimated at $35,000.
Both the Krassel Complex and the East Zone Complex have information available online at http://www.inciweb.org.
Fires that were being fought last week by the Southern Idaho Timber Protective Association were declared out as of Tuesday, Shannon Henggiler of the McCall SITPA office said.
Five additional fires on land protected by SITPA were added to the eight reported last week. Total acreage of the 13 fires was just over an acre.
Fire causes closure of Lick Creek Road
Lick Creek Road inside the Payette National Forest was closed to public traffic on Tuesday due to dangers posed by the Zena Creek fire.
Lick Creek Road was closed from the junction of Forest Service Road 387 to the confluence of the East Fork of the Salmon River, South Fork of the Salmon River and Lick Creek Road.
The road was closed because rolling debris near and across the road posed a hazard to traffic; a news release said.
Warren Wagon Road remained open on Wednesday through Secesh Meadows and into Warren despite a voluntary evacuation order issued Wednesday by the fire commander on the Loon Lake Fire' threatening the community.
